Baffle blade control system eBACS
Non-contact protection for strip edges
The eBACS electronic BAffle blade Control System optimizes galvanizing at the strip edges. Contamination or damage to the zinc coating through contact with the strip by touch rolls is prevented. Sensors and actuators of proven EMG quality provide for maintenance-free, reliable operation. It results in a homogenous zinc layer even at the strip edges. Last but not least, the fully automated systems provide for greater operational safety and active prevention of accidents.
In hot-dip galvanizing lines the zinc coating thickness is determined by means of blowing-off nozzles in the air knife above the zinc bath. In order to avoid any air disturbances which can lead to a strip edge growth and an influence on the surface at the edges, the strips are normally enlarged by baffle blades in this area.
In this case the baffel blades must follow continuously the movement of both strip edge positions and/or a strip width change. The inductive edge sensors ensure here an exact and non-contact following-up of the baffle blades and avoid rough strip edges which can occur by the break-off of the molten zinc by mechanical touch rolls otherwise used.
For this purpose two BMI4 inductive strip edge sensors are installed on the baffle blades. The position of the strip edges are continuously identified and the baffle blades are automatically repositioned. The desired gap width is constantly maintained and regulated, but it can be flexibly adjusted to changing conditions.
With the use of the electric motorized EMG actuators for positioning the edge masks the critical adjustment of the pneumatic pressure for a mechanical touch roll arrangement is no longer needed. Especially for thin or hot strips a significant quality increase is realised with this non-contact baffle blade control system.
The eBACS electronic BAffle blade Control System optimizes galvanizing at the strip edges. Contamination or damage to the zinc coating through contact with the strip by touch rolls is prevented. Sensors and actuators of proven EMG quality provide for maintenance-free, reliable operation. It results in a homogenous zinc layer even at the strip edges. Last but not least, the fully automated systems provide for greater operational safety and active prevention of accidents.
In hot-dip galvanizing lines the zinc coating thickness is determined by means of blowing-off nozzles in the air knife above the zinc bath. In order to avoid any air disturbances which can lead to a strip edge growth and an influence on the surface at the edges, the strips are normally enlarged by baffle blades in this area.
In this case the baffel blades must follow continuously the movement of both strip edge positions and/or a strip width change. The inductive edge sensors ensure here an exact and non-contact following-up of the baffle blades and avoid rough strip edges which can occur by the break-off of the molten zinc by mechanical touch rolls otherwise used.
For this purpose two BMI4 inductive strip edge sensors are installed on the baffle blades. The position of the strip edges are continuously identified and the baffle blades are automatically repositioned. The desired gap width is constantly maintained and regulated, but it can be flexibly adjusted to changing conditions.
With the use of the electric motorized EMG actuators for positioning the edge masks the critical adjustment of the pneumatic pressure for a mechanical touch roll arrangement is no longer needed. Especially for thin or hot strips a significant quality increase is realised with this non-contact baffle blade control system.